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New US supreme court judges will affect us all

By Bob Holmes, Celeste Biever, David Chandler and Jessica Marshall

LEGAL experts around the world have their eyes on Washington DC this week as the US senate debates the nomination of Samuel Alito to the US supreme court. If, as expected, the nomination is confirmed, Alito’s will be the second new face on the supreme court’s bench in just four months, the first being John Roberts, the Chief Justice.

Both new judges are seen as political conservatives, and their decisions on the bench could have a wide-ranging impact on US society. Areas affected could include genetic screening, intrusion of a …